-=> Quoting Keith Jackson to Kurt Sletterdahl <=-

 KJ> Presumably, as in Britain, the approval of the modem to be connected
 KJ> to the PSN could be rescinded.

01/23 will not take on UK approved (BABT) Couriers.  They're deliberately
made country specific.  Thus an approved modem cannot have its approval
"recinded" unless it's flashed with this code.  Even if the modem had its
configs altered somehow to accept the US code, that wouldn't mean every
approved modem from this manufacturer would magically become un-approved.
Only the "hacked" one.  Then only if damage was caused to a UK telco's
gear.  Then only after alll the lengthy "procedures" had been gone thru
Since an .SDL doesn't change line isolation components, I fail to
see how...

 KJ> are technical differences between national telephone systems so that
 KJ> US-spec modems used in the UK fail to recognise our BUSY signal.

True, although both Supra and Zoom using the WorldClass chipset
allow up to 20 different country configs selectable by an init code...

 KJ> trivial in itself but is indicative of the poential problems created by
 KJ> differring naional standards.

These are problematic for the user, not the telco at all... Only the
countries themselves (and the modem manufacturers) have a vested interest
in "type approval".
Today, BABT acts as a technological barrier to trade, its shroud
waving could be used to enforce import controls, and/or import tariffs
(3.5 percent duty from the US currently)  Some anti free-market types
would like to see this

 KJ> We don't have differenial ring tones, for
 KJ> example,

Yes we do, it's BT's Callsign on trial now in Glasgow.

 KJ> and I wouldn't be at all surprised of our caller ID sysem was
 KJ> different.

Yes, it's made to be different, coz up until recently only BT made/supplied
CallerID equipment which has to monitor the line continuously awaiting the
CLID info which is sent before the first ring :(  Unlike most everywhere
else in the world where it's sent betweeen the rings

 KJ> My UK-spec Courier has a number of differences from the general
 KJ> specification given in the manual and are outlined in our own
 KJ> supplement.

Yup, useful things like "Blacklisting" (which stops you redialing a
previously engaged number for up to a minute),  compulsory calling tones,
etc.  None of which enhance the safety of the line engineer, the user, or
the telco's gear

 KS> What agency of what government demanded that the SDL not be made
 KS> available for downloading?
 KJ> In our case the BABT, which stands for something like the British
 KJ> Approvals Board for Telephony and defines the standards to be met for
 KJ> /all/ devices to be connected, either direcly or indirectly, to our
 KJ> PSTN.

BABT has no locus to demand anything from another country, least of
all telling USR what files can or cannot be made available in the US or
anywhere else for that matter.  As to _use_ of that file, well that's up
to the user...

 KJ> ISTM that there's a lot of wibble from a few users who cannot accept
 KJ> that USR needs to operate inernationally and that means operating
 KJ> differently in each country, if need be.

Some EEA countries still havn't got V34+ yet.  UK has no V34+ upgrade for
Sportster, not all Sportster models are available in the UK.
Given that we do not employ a "Modem Police" (well, not yet anyway)
and that in today's hi-tech climate modems' hardware within a marque
carry the same line isolation components, plus the European Court's recent
ruling stopping the banning of a modem type approved in one EEA country
being used in another, you can see the _commercial_ good sense in fighting
to retain national type approvals.  And Bo***x to the user :-(
That's what the missing .SDLs is _really_ all about

 KJ> being able to download something via the Internet has to be looked at
 KJ> in the context of the volume of business which could be lost if people
 KJ> flashed code which contravened the local laws.

But you can't.  It wouldn't work

 KJ> system in Europe is being standardised there could be a real chance of
 KJ> USR modems being banned from sale throughout the EEC.

Cobblers :-)
You don't wear a hooded cloak, ride a black horse, and carry a scythe over
your shoulder too do you?

rgdZ
Richard

... SDL-0123.EXE is available for FReq or d/load from origin  

--- FMail/386 0.98a